Kevin Dillard scored 17 points and had 10 assists as Southern Illinois defeated Western Kentucky 68-63 Monday night.
Carlton Fay added 17 points, Tony Freeman 12 and Gene Teague 10 and nine rebounds for the Salukis (12-7).
Steffphon Pettigrew scored 15 points, and A.J. Slaughter had 14 for the Hilltoppers (11-9), who have lost four straight.
Dillard finished three rebounds shy of a triple-double and secured the victory by scoring the final three points for Southern Illinois. He also set up Fay for a key 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining after Western Kentucky used a 5-0 run to pull within 62-60.
The game featured 14 lead changes, eight ties and zero fast-break points. The Hilltoppers' last lead was 50-49 with 9:15 to play.
The Salukis led 38-33 at intermission after scoring the final six points of the first half.
